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Mazda’s New Fuel-Efficient Powertrain to Reach U.S. by 2011

NEW YORK - Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) announced plans to launch the all-new SKY Concept powertrains into the U.S. market as early as 2011.

"By launching our SKY technologies into the global market place, beginning in 2011, we will take a huge step toward accomplishing our stated goal of achieving a 30-percent improvement in global fuel economy by 2015," said Takashi Yamanouchi, representative director, president and CEO, Mazda Motor Corporation.

The first of the two engines to be initially introduced in the U.S. in 2011 - the Mazda SKY-G - is Mazda's next-generation gasoline engine and will be the core powertrain in future Mazda vehicles. Mazda expects the SKY-G to boost fuel efficiency by approximately 15 percent while also increasing engine power.

The manufacturer also intends to carry out the global launch of the SKY-G engine mated to the SKY-Drive transmission in the U.S. market in 2011. Following the U.S. launch, Mazda then intends to roll out this all-new powertrain to global markets. The new automatic SKY-Drive transmission is expected to improve fuel economy by an additional five percent, while achieving a direct-performance feel like that of a dual-clutch transmission.

Yamanouchi said the automaker also plans to launch the SKY-D engine mated to Sky-Drive in the U.S. in 2012. Mazda plans to incorporate the SKY-D engine into its next-generation mid-sized diesel car, allowing highway fuel economy of up to 43 mpg - a 20-percent improvement in fuel efficiency over Mazda's current 2.2L diesel. When launched in the U.S., SKY-D will meet Tier 2 BIN 5 regulations. The SKY-D engine does not require urea after-treatment to meet strict North American emissions standards, according to Mazda.

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